Chapter Twenty:

A Sudden Corrupting Sense of Hunger

He studied her carefully, and took his time to process every detail of the story. Makerboy wanted to feel sorry for Octo-Kitty, and found himself reconsidering the idea of handing her off to the cops. He could help her, Parker could help her, and Agent 8 could help her.

All this time, and she never talked to a doctor. He'd never seen a woman use a happy and suggestive personality to hide the trauma of failed dates and when aggressive men asserted their dominance over her.

In the time he knew Agent 8, Makerboy knew her past wasn't too terribly rough, aside from the trials that Commander Tartar put her through in the Deep Sea Metro.

Then, there was her suggestion that they could battle crime together. With her story concluded at the point where she partnered with Enimagico, the black-clad Spider-Inkling began to wonder what Parker would think. Perhaps, just perhaps, the Octoling would make a good crime-fighter.

'Oh, what the kelp.' A voice in Makerboy's head remarked, and the choice was made.

"Serlinka..." He said, "I... I offer my condolences... for all the pain you've endured. I can understand what you went through, and... no woman should ever have to deal with a man forcing themselves upon her. If I am... being honest, I would be happy to let you fight bad guys with me... as a partner, and I think... you don't have to carry all of that trauma so much..."

Serlinka studied Makerboy's masked face with a curious smile. "You mean all of that?" She asked, her struggle against the webs slowing, "You mean you'll... Y'know...?"

"Promise me you won't pull a fast one."

His response prompted the Octoling to giggle sweetly. "Oh, web boy..." The Octo-Kitty quipped, "Why would I double-cross someone, stab them in the back, when they're being so nice to me?"

'Eat her.' A sinister voice snarled in Makerboy's mind, 'If she betrays us, eat her.'

'No. I won't eat her. She's telling the truth.'

'Why resist the urge to feast upon her? She may taste delicious. Who refuses to eat an Octoling beauty? Eat her, eat her, eat her!'

"I don't know why you would..." Makerboy made his move and leaped onto the web-bound Octoling, "Maybe because of all the trauma you put up with over the years? Because you swore loyalty to Enimagico? Why would you betray a nice guy like me?"

Serlinka giggled again, right as the Spider-Inkling started to work on undoing the webs, "Looks like I didn't share a secret with you, Inkling boy. And that secret is the Octo-Kitty usually worked alone. My mother went solo, and team-ups were sparce, until she met my father. Until I bumped into Enimagico, I worked alone. Looks like that's changing with us..."

"We'll see about that." Makerboy grunted, "Hang on..."

He peeled every last layer of the partial cocoon that he'd formed around the shapely Octoling, and the webs fell onto the ground, one strand at a time.

Moments later, Serlinka's arms began to move, and so did her legs. Makerboy grabbed her gently, and pulled her out of the webbing. Her white tentacles swayed in the breeze, and the Octo-Kitty let out a giggling purr as she flexed her shoulders.

'Let's eat her. Let's eat her.' A voice snarled.

'No...' Makerboy thought, 'We shouldn't...'

"It looks like I owe you my gratitude, sweetie..." Serlinka quipped, and she reached for the Spider-Inkling's neckline, sending an uncertain chill down Makerboy's back, before the Octoling lightly pulled up the mask... and kissed him on the lips while stroking his smooth cheek.

'Carp. Agent 8 isn't going to be happy...' Makerboy was imagining the shock and outrage on his girlfriend's face. Luckily for him, and Serlinka, the Octarian soldier-turned Squidbeak Splatoon agent wasn't in the immediate area.

'Let's eat her face...' That monstrous voice declared again.

"Shall we go fight criminals, handsome...?" Serlinka purred, lowering the mask while fingering Makerboy's shoulder.

No sooner than she'd reminded him of why he freed her, they heard a near-distant smashing sound, and Makerboy's spider senses went off madly. Another crime was in progress, and the super Inkling knew what to do. He handed the Octo-Kitty her whip, and Makerboy took flight, swinging his way out of the alley, while the Octoling followed suit.

Makerboy's senses tingled and blared like mad, pointing the web-slinging squid in the direction of the crime. Someone's car was being vandalized and a store was being robbed, two crimes going on at the same time.

The green-haired squid swooped over the streets, and maneuvered to the right. And, just a couple feet off, he could see leather-clad Inklings smashing car windows and a couple of Octolings in dark-gray burglary suits exiting a jewelry fashion store with bags likely full of rubies and emeralds they'd just looted.

An alarm wailed, and car horns honked madly. No sign of the police thus far, so it was up to the Spider-Inkling and his new associate Octo-Kitty to put a stop to the crime.

He swooped towards the scene, and landed on top of a red Hudson, right before an Inkling could start hitting it with a crowbar. The criminal shrieked in alarm, and leaped back with surprise, alerting the other crooks in the vicinity in a second.

"How's it goin'?" Makerboy asked, "Enjoying your crime job?!"

"THE SPIDER-INKLING!" An Octo yelled.

"Where did he get the black suit?!" An Inkling demanded.

"Maybe you should ask her..." The dark-clad superhero remarked with a hidden smirk.

Octoling women first. Serlinka made herself known with the crack of a whip, and the crowbar Inkling crook yelped before the catsuit-clad Octo-beauty kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Makerboy did the honors of webbing him up, then he leaped towards the other criminals as Splattershots were drawn.

A masked Inkling burglar opened fire, and Makerboy evaded his shots before thwipping a web into his face, blinding the rogue squid in moments. The Spider-Inkling took advantage, and kicked the criminal in the legs, knocking him to the ground.

Serlinka lunged at an Octoling, and swiped at his face with her special claws, grazing his visage before bringing up the whip. The leather-clad Octo-criminal fell over, yelping and writhing in agony.

Four rogue Inklings took aim at the Octo-Kitty, and started shooting at her. Red, blue and orange pellets of ink streaked around her, and Serlinka ducked quickly, then she ran towards the criminals and kicked the first two in the head before smacking one between the eyes with her whip while taking a Splattershot out of the fourth's hand.

At that moment, Makerboy's webs flew in, and hit the helpless Inkling criminal in the back, causing the disarmed crook to collapse to the ground on his face. Serlinka flipped the Inkling onto his back, pounced on top of him, and lowered herself before suggestively licking his face.

Makerboy's senses went off, and he ducked as a crowbar swooped over his head. He whipped around, facing an Inkling as he smacked the tool into his hand.

'Eat him!' A voice screamed, and the dark-clad green Inkling could feel a sense of hunger within him.

Something else began to take over. Makerboy lunged at the crowbar-wielding squid criminal, and punched him in the face. Then he grabbed the rogue, held him high, and threw the crook against the side of a car. Makerboy flicked his wrists, pinning the Inkling to the automobile with his webs, and moved towards him.

'Yes! Yes! Eat him!'

He felt his mask change, like his face had grown another mouth, complete with sharp teeth. Makerboy reached for the helpless burglar Inkling, and licked his lips. He growled in a vicious manner, and opened his mouth, ready to feast upon something tasty and...

"WHOA!"

Makerboy regained control, and backed away before smacking a burglar into a wall. He thought about what was going on, and looked at Serlinka, who looked shocked, even terrified. The Inkling thought about the suit he was wearing, and looked at his hands to catch a glimpse of claws growing from his fingers.

The green-haired wall-crawler couldn't believe it. The suit was corrupting him!

No, not the suit. The alien goop that had made the suit, and it was talking to Makerboy in his head, telling him to eat.

And he almost gave into the entity's suggestions, and nearly crossed the line. Again! This symbiote was turning the Spider-Inkling into a ravenous, cannibalistic monster, which Makerboy had no desire to ever become.

Something had to be done, and he knew what to do. He had to get rid of this suit, and fast!